Apparatus for cooking meats.



P. BRIGGS.

APPARATUS POR 000mm MBATS.

2 SHBETS-SHEBT L APPLIUATION FILED 0UT.1B, 1911.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

F. BRIGGS.

APPARATUS POR COOKING MBATS.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.111, w11.

1,079,160. Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

I '(15. @wi/Wemag 7 PREDLmcK Bm:A

rnnnnnick, names, or wAsmNG'roN, nrsrercr or coLUMBrA,

APPARATUS', FOR COOKING HIE/ATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled, October 18, 1911. SeriaLNo. 655,323.

To all 'whom z'tmay concern."-

Be it known that-1]F1mnnmcm Bniccs, a

citizen of the.V United. States, residing lat. Washington, in. theI Distrlct ci Columb1a,.

have inventedr certain Improvements inl Aipparatfus: for Cooliing'Meats, of which the following isa full. and complete speclication.

Myy invention relates to apparatus forI tion is to provide a cooklng apparatus of: this.

character with: means, forA accurately, indicating'the shrinkage o'thc meat during theY operationocooking,.and tolimit the action of the spring by means of.' which the meat-.1s

compressed.l or packed' wlnlecoolnng.

Ai. further object o'my present invention is.to providemeansfor'oonining the spring under tension the operation ot assembling'the parte after the meat has been placed. in the recepteclmand to adjust said spring to suit different conditions.

Other'objects and advantages-ot the presont invention willi hereinafter.' appean, and what I claim. as: new and desire to secure by LettersfPatent of the nited. States lsfully see forth. in the'appended claims,

In` the accompanying drawings, which liorm apart of this specification: Figure. 1 is. aside elevation showing the improved cooking apparatusfwith the parts assembled and adjusted. ready or cooking the meat which. is contained Within the receptacleunder pressure. Fig. 2.1is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through said apparatus. Fig-.3 is a side elevation of the'device employed for exerting.- pressure. upon the meat, show-ing: thev 'parte of saiddevice arranged for application to: the receptacle containing the meet.L Fig.; 4 is a 'vertical longitudinal sectionaL view illustratlng a slight. modification ofithe invention. Flg. 5 isa transverse sectional, view onthe line 5,-5 of Fig. 4:.

Likey numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

rllhe receptacle in which the meatiisoooked and compressed isv preferably composed4 of' two .-parts; tofwit, a tapered: can. or containery 6, and a correspondingly tapered. cylinder`- 7 forming a continuation of the can, said Aflanges 6 parts telescoping. one within the other and connected more securely by interlocking and 7,, respectively, all of the meat being compressed within the can during cooking so that the latten may be used for shipping the meat. The can 6 is provided with a loose bottom 8 resting upon an inturned ange 9, and the upper end of the cylinder or extension 7 is closed by means of' a removable cap 10, secured thereto by opposite pins 1l and bayonet slots 12. rllhe meat, as 15, which is placed within the can 6 and extends into the lower part of the cylinder 7 is compressed during the operation of cooking by means of a helical spring 13 exerting pressure upon a; plungerY 14 placed on top o thefmeat;

yamount of shrinkage which it will undergo during the operationof cooking, augmented the action of the spring 13, can be very accurately determined, and in orderthat this shrinkage may be properly indicatedY I provide-the plunger 14s with an indicating rod; 16, which in. the present instance extends upfthrcugh a hollow shaft 17,.and.car ries. an indication in the form of a nut 1B threaded on the nod, said indicator being located above the upper end. of the meat receptacle so that it may be seen while the meat is cooking. In setting this indicator thefplungcris:allowedito rest upon the meat or'ham and.y thenithel nut isturned until it reaches a point alcertain distance above the upper end of the hollow shaft` or stop device 17, according to the amount of shrinkage desired for that; particular ham; for instance, if a ham. will be properly doneafter a shrinkage oii one inch, with respectV tothe size'of the ham anddimensions ofthe receptacle,. the adjustingnut: or indicator V18 would bel setl oneinch above the upperl end of theshaft: or stop device 17. Therefore, the gradual shrinkage of the ham can` be watched, and: when: the indicator strikes against the end of the shaft it. willl denote that the ham is done, and will alsolarrcst the-plunger at theuppor end of the can so that the cooked and. compressed. meat will exactly fill.' said can.

Of'course an "form of stop device for the indicator may e provided, butin the present instance the shaft 17, forming such stop, alsoprovides for adjusting the spring, that is, increasing or cording to the position of the plunger, and

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

diminishing its tension ac i for this purpose said shaft lis threaded a meat receptacle such as shown in Fig.v 4,*in'

which a single can,

,and arms 21, for convenience in ,removing the pressure `1s cooked the spring through the cap 10, and carries within the cylinder a follower 19, between which latter 'and the aforesaid plunger 14 the spring 13 is confined. The hollow shaft or screw 17 is provided at its upper end with a head 20 turning the same, said arms forming also a convenient means forl handling the apparatus as a whole.

For convenience in turning the cap 10, in locking and unlocking the same on the upper end of the meat receptacle, said cap is provided with projections or buttons 22.

' ln assembling t-he partsl for cooking a ham, or other meat, the can 6 and cylinder 7 are connected by passing said can through the cylinder until the flanges interlock,.and after placing the meat within this receptacle the pressure device, with the spring confined under pressure between the plunger Maand follower 19, is placed wit-hin the 'upper part of the cylinder 7 and the cap 10 turned into locked engagement with the pins 11. rlhe screw 17 is then 'turned until the plunger rests upon the meat, and the nut 18 A adjusted the proper distance above the upper end of the screw, according to the amount of shrinkage desired. ltv will be understood, of course, the parts of the pressure device the spring is placed betweenthe plunger 14 and follower 19, and the rod 16,` which is attached to the plunger, is passed up'through the hollow screw, so that by threading the nut18 on the upper end of the rod the spring may be compressed to the desired extent between the plunger and'followe'r, and, of course, in device after the meat device may be easily removed. Furthermore, the parts of thisgdevice may be all separated so that they may be thoroughly cleaned after each cookingoperation.

Instead of providing a meat receptacle in two parts I mayin some instances provide as 23, is provided, having the slidable bottom 24, for convenience in forcing the meatout of the receptacle and to provide for circulation of the water in "i which the meat iscooked at the lowerend of the receptacle.

ln this instance the*` meat, after being cooked, is removed from the receptacle and placed in a carton of roper size for shipping. In the modi cation shown in Figs. 4 and 5, there is also a different means for securing the cap on the upper end of the meat receptacle. In this instance a disk-cap 25 is provided, having notches'26 at its edges through which pass tongues 27 at the upper edge of the recep tacle, the latter being oifset at its upper end to provide a supporting shoulder 28. In this modification the cap is provided with a strap-handle 29, instead of the buttons 22.

that in assembling.

is confined so that said.

`turning said the end of one of said sections,

As will be noted, the pressuredevice is of the same construction as that shown in the other views ofthe drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. ln an apparatus for cooking meat, a receptacle comprising two relatively movable sections, provided with means arranged to engage the other section for limiting the relative movement of the sections, one of said sections, constituting a shipping can for the meat, a top for said receptacle, a plunger disposedwithin the receptacle, a follower disposed within the receptacle, a spring disposed between said plunger and said follower, said sleeve being arranged to pass through the top, a handle secured tosaid sleeve for adjusting the position of the follower with respect to the top,

a plunger rod arranged to pass through said sleeve and an adjustable nut carried by the plunger rod and arranged to engage the sleeve for limiting the movement of the plunger.

2. ln an apparatus for cooking meat, a receptacle comprising two telescopic sections, one of said telescopic sections having aninwardly extending flange at its lower edge, a movable bottom arranged yto engage said flange, means `for limitin themovement of one of said sections re ative to the other, a top for said receptacle, a plunger disposed within the receptacle and having a plunger stem, a follower disposed within the receptacle, a threaded sleeve for supporting said Jfollower arranged to pass through the top, the stem of the plunger bein arranged to extend through said sleeve, a andle for sleeve to move the follower, a spring disposed between the plunger and the follower, and an adjustable thumb nut carried by the plunger rod and arranged to engage the end of the sleeve for limiting the movement of the plunger. f l

3. ln an apparatus 'for cooking meat, a receptacle comprising a pair of tapered'telescopic sections, means for' limiting the telescopic movement of one section relative to the other, a top removably connected with said top havinga central opening provided with a screw thread, a threaded sleeve arrangedrv to engage the threaded opening, a follower carried by said sleeve, a4 plunger disposed within said receptacle, a plunger rod arranged to extend through said sleeve, and a spring disposed between said follower and said plunger for forcing said plunger away from said follower.

4L. ln an apparatus .for cooking meat, a receptacle comprising a pair of tapered tele.- scopic sections, a flange carried by each secone of said sections being a sleeve for supporting the follower,

ico

tion and arranged to engage the iiange on the other' section for limiting the outward -rod arranged toextend throu movement of the sections, a top removably connected with the end of one oi' said sections, said top havin a central opening provided with a screw t read, a threaded sleeve arranged to engage the threaded opening, a follower carried by said sleeve, a plunger disposed within said receptacle, a plunger h said sleeve, a spring disposed between sai( follower and said plunger for forcing said plunger away from said `follower, and means connected with said sleeve for adjusting the position of the follower with respect to the top.

5. In an apparatus for cooking meat, a receptacle comprising a pair of tapered tele scoplc sections, a flange carried by each section and arranged to engage the flange on the other section for limiting the outward movement of the sections, a top removably connected with the end of one of said sections, said top having a central opening provided with a screw thread, a threaded sleeve arranged to engage the threaded opening, a follower carried by said sleeve, a plunger disposed within said receptacle, a plunger rod arranged to extend through said sleeve, a spring disposed between said follower and said plunger for forcing said plunger away from said follower, means connected with said sleeve for adjusting the position of the follower with respect to the top, and an adjustable nut carried by said plunger rod for limiting the movement of the plunger.

FREDERICK BRIGGS.

`Witnesses:

H. P. HOWARD, Jr.,

J. P. SELLMAN. 

